VENTING our FRUSTRATIONS directly to GOD!
June 2
Bible Reading: Job Chapters 28-30
VENTING our FRUSTRATIONS directly to GOD!
"I cry out to You, but You do not
answer me; I stand up, and You regard me. But You have become cruel to me; with
the strength of Your hand You oppose me. You lift me up to the wind and cause
me to ride on it; You spoil my success. For I know that You will bring me to
death, and to the house appointed for all living." (Job 30:20-23)
Job continues
to speak of his present suffering as he sets the stage for the contrast between
his past prosperity and his present pathetic state. Once again Job articulates
the central problem of the book: Why will
God not answer and talk with him? He is now in terrible pain, disfigured
with boils all over his body after losing everything that he owned in his life
so far. He cannot return to the past, endure the present, or face the future! But God is silent through his terrible
ordeal!
From the
chief of princes, Job is now the object of contempt and cruel pranks by the
most useless elements of society. Rejected by his former wealthy colleagues,
scorned by the poor as not really one of them, abandoned by his wife, and
seemingly unable to communicate with God, Job is finally about to cave in and
say whatever is necessary to save himself. But
Job refuses as he again lifts his head, reaffirms his integrity, and stands
fast!
In doing so,
Job addresses God directly. Why has this
terrible fall from honor occurred? Even though God refuses to answer and
give him a reason for his present suffering, Job will not curse God nor will he
give up his hope in God. In the similar manner, when we also go through
terrible situations in our lives, it is
better to vent our frustrations directly to God instead of complaining to
other people. "It is better to trust
in the Lord than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord
than to put confidence in princes." (Psalms 118:8-9)
Whenever our
circumstances lead us to a downward spiral in life as we join Job in the “dust and ashes” (v. 19), let us remember
that our Lord Jesus Christ was once there (Ps. 22:15) and He knows how we feel.
He is adequate for all that we need for our yesterdays, tomorrows as well as
our todays (Heb. 13:8). Let us not just remember our past enjoyments but also
remember God’s past mercies in our lives (Psalms 77:1–12), and trust Him for our
unknown future as well.
